Page 117 - Adobe Photoshop PDF

the same question, “What is that thing near the toilet?” None of us had
ever seen or heard of a bidet. That evening we went to a casino that was
nearby. I was interested to watch the proceedings, not to gamble. The
Portuguese patrons, both men and women, were dressed in black. They
played a variety of games of chance. No one ever smiled or laughed if
they won, nor complained if they lost. It was the dullest gambling I’ve
ever seen.

7KH QH[W GD\ ZH ÀHZ WR 5RPH ZKHUH ZH KDG D YHU\ JRRG GLQQHU
LQ WKH DLUSRUW :H ÀHZ RQ LQ WKH GDUN WR %HLUXW DQG WKHQ LQWR $UDELD $W
¿UVW WKH ODQG EHORZ DSSHDUHG WR EH WKH UHVXOW RI ROG YROFDQLF ODYD ÀRZV
7KHQ ZH ÀHZ RQ RYHU JUDYHO SODLQV ZLWK VKRUW JUDVV ,W ORRNHG OLNH D
picture washed with green watercolors. There were no hills or valleys.
$V ZH ÀHZ LQWR WKH (DVWHUQ 3URYLQFH ZH FRXOG VHH QXPHURXV ÀDUHV
burning from the various gas-oil separation plants. We landed at the
Dhahran airport. The customs building was about the size of a double
garage and was built of stone. Once we cleared customs, many of the
new employees were met by people who would be their supervisors in
their new jobs. No one met me. I was confused as to what was going on.

We were driven by bus about three miles to the company town of
'KDKUDQ $W WKH KRXVLQJ R൶FH ZH ZHUH DVVLJQHG URRPV 7KHVH ZHUH LQ

what were called “sheepsheds.” These were plywood, one-story build-
ings where the concrete center aisle had rooms on either side with two
men in a room. In the center of the building were toilets and washbasins.
It was immediately like being back in the Army. The next day I checked
DW WKH KRXVLQJ R൶FH WR DVN ZKHUH , ZDV WR UHSRUW WR EXW WKH\ KDG QR

information. It was the same the following morning. I asked where Bela
%DUQHV R൶FH ZDV DQG ZDV GLUHFWHG WR WKH QHZ DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ EXLOGLQJ
:KHQ , UHSRUWHG WR KLV R൶FH %HOD ZDV RXW VR , WDONHG WR KLV $PHULFDQ
VHFUHWDU\ $IWHU D ZKLOH D WDOO IHOORZ FDPH WKURXJK WKH R൶FH DQG JDYH
PH D TXHUXORXV ORRN EHIRUH SDVVLQJ LQWR WKH QH[W R൶FH +LV VHFUHWDU\

left me and went in to see Bela. A minute later, he emerged and said,
“Where the hell have you been?” It developed that he had anticipated
someone arriving to help him but the letter informing him of my arrival
had never come.

113